10 June 1996

Telecom chairman Peter Shirtcliffe warns that up to 100,000 jobs could be lost to NZ in the next nine years if foreign investment was curbed. Shirtcliffe had commissioned a report from the economic forecasters BERL to look into the costs of restricting foreign investment, as proposed by several political parties.

11 June 1996

Dr Michael Cullen is elected deputy leader of the Labour Party, replacing David Caygill.

12 June 1996

Sealord lays off 80 fishing crew members from the fishing trawler Will Watch.

The Department of Social Welfare has lost more than 20% of its staff in less than a year.

13 June 1996

A recent UNICEF annual report shows the NZ rate of young male suicide at 40 per 100,000 young men, and is the third worst rate in the world (After Russia and Lithuania). Most developed European countries had a rate of between 4-14 young male suicides. The report links suicide by young people to sexual and emotional abuse, stress, unplanned pregnancy, sexual preference problems, unemployment, jail and running away from home.

14 June 1996

Jeanmaker Levi Strauss & Co have promised that it's employees will collect a cash bonus of a years wages (based on 1996 levels) at the year 2001, if cash-flow targets are reached in a staff-incentive scheme. The idea is proving a hot topic amongst employers.

16 June 1996

CTU secretary Angela Foulkes says that Levi Strauss should simply top up their weekly wages rather than consider their innovative bonus incentive scheme.

Huge protests are staged across Germany to protest against German plans to slash public spending and cut social benefits.

18 June 1996

The Alliance would pour $450m into their education policies, building new schools, doing deferred maintenance, and reducing classroom sizes. It would eliminate school activity fees and increase operational grants.

23 June 1996

The National Party conference resolves that Labour Day be renamed to become the country's national day.

24 June 1996

The Alliance releases its alternative budget, promising big spending in health and education and tax cuts to 70% of the population.

25 June 1996

The Child Protection Trust releases its `Children's Agenda' asking that the needs of children in NZ be given the same priority as the economy.

Qualifications Authority CEO David Hood announces his resignation, citing personal reasons.

26 June 1996

Labour's Employment Spokesman Steve Maharey is now No.3 in the Labour line-up after a re-shuffle.

27 June 1996

The Reserve Bank admits that it will be in default of its 0-2% inflation mandate for the rest of this year.

29 June 1996

Statistics NZ figures show that the economy has slowed more than expected in the first quarter of this year.

30 June 1996

The leaders of the G7 top industrialised countries end their annual summit meeting in France. The group came up with no plans of relief for their 23m unemployed citizens, saying that "... it was painful to adapt to fast-moving economic trends."

1 July 1996

New Tax changes and social policy laws come into effect today.

The first Universal Basic Income National Conference starts in Wellington.